Machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like to present alpha seamless upper surface



F. H. HIGGINS 1,924,551 MACHINE FOR UNITING STRIPS OF FLOOR COVERING OR THE Filed 001;. 15, 19:52

LIKE TO PRESENT A SEAMLESS UPPER SURFACE Aug. 29, 1933.

lnvenTor: Frank H. Higgins ,b zfiewa &/

ATTys.

Patented Aug. 29, 1933 MACHINE FOR UNITING STRIPS OF FLOOR COVERING OR THE LIKE TO PRESENT A SEAMLESS UPPER SURFACE Frank H. Higgins, Montclair, N. J., assignor to Sanford Mills, Sanford, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application October 15,

- strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges thereof in abutment.

The present invention contemplates the production of a machine adapted to unite the edge portions of adjacent strips of floor covering by means of a binding strip adhesively secured to the under face of-the edge portions of the strips, with the undistorted edges in such close abut-.- ment that the carpet or rug when laid upon the floor will appear to be seamless.

The invention is also adapted to connect the edge portions of abutting strips to other floor coverings, such as linoleum, without the necessity of the use of tacks, or other visible means for securing the same together.

The machine forming the subject matter of the invention is also such as to enable the strips of floor covering to be secured together upon the floor, upon which the covering is to be laid, thereby enabling a floor covering of the desired width or length more readily to be produced than'where the uniting of adjacent strips is done at the factory or shop.

Another important advantage of the machine resides in its ability to unite the adjacent edges of the strips without distortion of the edge portions, thereby enabling the patterns of adjacent strips to be matched accurately.

The principal object of the invention, there- 'fore, is to provide a machine for assembling strips of floor covering, such as rugs, carpets, linoleum, and the like, lying upon the floor, or other flat surface, with adjacent edges of said strips in abutment and secured together by an underlying adhesive uniting tape.

More particularly the object of the invention is to provide a portable machine having means for progressively and temporarily raising the abutting edges of adjacent strips of floor covering or the like as the machine is moved along such edges, together with means for progressively delivering a binding tape having an adhesive-coated upper surface beneath the upraised edges of the strips, so that upon restoration of the edge portions of the strips to normal position in the same horizontal plane, the edges of the strips will be permanently secured in abutment and a substantially seamless upper surface of the floor covering presented.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character above described with means for progressively producing an adhesive surface upon the upper face of the tape in ad- 1932. Serial No. 638,035

vance of its engagement with the lower face of the edge portions of the strips of floor covering.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character above described with means, such as a reel, for supporting a length of binding tape and provided with means for progressively applying a liquid adhesive to the upper surface of the tape as it is drawn from the reel by the movement of the carriage along the adjacent edges of the strips.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for regulating the amount of liquid adhesive applied to the tape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character above described with means for insuring the production of a close abutment of the adjacent edges of the These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing: v

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine for uniting strips of floor covering and the like embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;-and,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the manner in which the edge portions of the floor covering are first raised, the adhesive tape laid beneath the upturned edges, and also showing said edges restored to normal position upon the adhesive-coated tape.

The machine illustrated in the drawing comprises a carriage 1, preferably in the form of a casting, having a preferably cylindrical portion or casing 2 forming a chamber to receive a length of tape which is preferably supported upon a reel 3 which is rotatably mounted upon a cylindrical boss or stud 4 projecting from one of the side walls of the chamber. The stud 4 is provided with a screw threaded end portion and a thumb nut 5, having an enlarged base mounted upon the screw threaded end of the stud 4, serves to hold the reel .detachably in position in said chamber.

The cylindrical casing 2 desirably is provided with laterally extending bosses 6 and 7 in which a shaft 8 is mounted which serves as a pivot for a tongue 9 preferably having laterally extending handles 10 by means of which the machine may be drawn along the seam. The front portion of the cylindrical casing 2 has secured to it a bracket 11 having laterally extending axles 12 and 13 upon which wheels 14 and 15 are rotatably mounted, the wheels being located respectively at substantial distances from the vertical longitudinal central plane of the machine.

Suitable means, such as a plow 16, is secured to the front portion of the casing, said plow having a fiat lower face 1'7 adapted to rest upon the floor, or other surface supporting the strips of floor covering, and is provided with a preferably concavedly curved front edge 18 adapted to pass between the adjacent edges of the strips of floor covering, and with concavedly curved surfaces 19 and .20 extending upwardly and rearwardly from the edge 18. Suitable means are provided for guiding the tape 21 from the reel 3'through the space between the edges of the strips of floor covering which have been raised by the plow and beneath the edge portions of said strips as the machine is moved longitudinally along the adjacent edges of the strips of floor covering.

In the construction illustrated the tape 21 is led downwardly around a rounded edge 22 at the lower end of the cylindrical portion of the casing 2, and thence through the space between the raised or upturned edges of the strips of floor covering in such a manner that the tape is laid upon the floor, or other supporting surface, beneath said edge portions.

Any suitable means may be provided for producing an adhesive surface upon the upper face of the strip. If the tape has been previously coated with an adhesive, it may be rendered tacky by progressively applying a suitable solvent to the adhesive or by providing means for heating the tape as it is delivered from the machine to render the adhesive'surface tacky, or if an uncoated tape is employed by applying to the upper surface thereof 'a suitable, preferably quick-drying, liquid adhesive.

In the particular construction illustrated means are provided for delivering a liquid adhesive to the upper surface of the tape after it leaves the reel and before it enters beneath the adjacent edge portions of the strips of flooring material. In the particular construction illustrated herein the cylindrical portion of the casing 2 is provided with a boss 23 having a fiat rear face adapted to receive the base of a semi-circular bracket 24 conforming to the contour of a cylindrical reservoir 25 which desirably is clamped against the bracket by a semi-circular strap 26 having flanged ends which are secured to the bracket 24 and boss 23 by bolts 27. The reservoir 25 may be provided with a suitable cover 28 and desirably has a downwardly extending conoidal bottom 29 provided .with a coupling 30 to which a suitable delivery pipe 31 is secured. In order to insure rigidity the pipe 31 desirably passes through a rearwardly extending boss 32 which is integral with the cylindrical portion 2 of the casing. The pipe 31 is connected to a suitable valve casing 33 having a valve therein adapted to be adjusted by a suitable handle 34. A pipe 35 leads from the valve casing 33 to a downwardly curved nozzle 36 which extends into proximity to the flat surface which supports the strips of floor covering and has a flattened end portion 37 providing a narrow slot forming an outlet for the liquid adhesive supplied from the reservoir 25. The tape 21 is guided by the curved portion of thenozzle beneath the upper end thereof in such a manner that a uniform amount of adhesive will be progressively delivered from the nozzle upon its upper face as the tape is drawn from the reel by the forward movement of the carriage. The lateral edges of the nozzle are engaged by the under faces of the upturned edge portions of the tape and thereby permit the tape to be properly laid upon the floor before the resilience of the floor covering restores the upturned edges into horizontal position into engagement with the adhesive-coated upper surface of the tape.

By adjusting the valve 34 the amount ofliquid adhesive delivered upon the tape can be accurately regulated in such a manner as to deliver an ample amount to secure the tape to the strips of floor covering and without the delivery of such excessive amount as would be squeezed over the edge of the tape when the edge portions of the strips of covering are pressed down upon it.

The essential mechanism of the machine above described, therefore, comprises a portable carriage having means operable progressively to raise the adjacent edge portions of the strips of floor covering or the like temporarily, with a reel for progressively delivering a binding tape beneath the upraised edges of the floor covering as the carriage is moved along said edges, with means for applying a liquid adhesive to the upper surface of the tape as it is drawn from the reel during the forward movement of the carriage.

If desired the carriage may'also be provided with means for flattening the upraised adjacent edge portions of the floor material and for pressing the same down upon the tape during the forward movement of the carriage. The carriage 115 may also be provided with means acting upon the strips of floor covering in such manner as to insure abutment of the edges of adjacent strips as the tape is laid beneath the edge portions of said strips. In the particular construc- 120 tion illustrated the carriage is 'provided with a central, preferably integral, rearward extension 38 which desirably may be of inverted channel shape, and a roller 39 suitably mounted upon an axle 40 mounted in the downwardly extending 125 flanges of said extension. The roller 39 should be of a length somewhat wider than the tape to insure complete flattening of the edge portions of the strip upon the tape throughout the width of the latter.

Means may also be provided for crowding the edges of the adjacent strips of floor covering into close abutment as the machine travels along the edges to be united. This is accomplished in the present invention by providing a pair of driven 135 rollers which are mounted upon axles angularly disposed to and converging rearwardly with respect to the central longitudinal vertical plane of the machine and located slightly in advance of and in proximity to the point at which the upturned edges of the strips become restored to their normal or horizontal positions, such angular ena bracket 41 extends transversely across the rearward extension 38 of the carriage and is secured thereto by suitable bolts 42. The bracket is provided with offset ends 43 normal to the longitudinal axis of the machine and axles 44 for rear wheels 45 are suitably secured in said offset extensions. The rear wheels desirably are provided with rubber tires 46.

The bracket 41 is also provided with downwardly extending bosses 47 and 48 in which the shafts 49 and 50 of rollers 51 and 52 are mounted. The rollers 51 and 52 are fixedly secured to their shafts. The axles 49 and 50 converge rearwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine, and the line of contact of therollers 51 and 52 with the surface of the floor covering, therefore, converge rearwardly toward the adjacent edges of the floor covering. The inner ends of the axles 44 are provided with suitable gears 53 which mesh with complementary gears 54 upon the respective axles 49 and 50 of the rollers 51 and 52, and serve to rotate the rollers in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the wheels 46 as the carriage is drawn along the seam-of the floor covering, thereby acting to force the adjacent edge portions toward each other in such a manner as to insure close abutment of the edges of the adjacent strips as the edge portions of the strips are restored to normal position and into engagement with the adhesive surface of the underlying strip of binding tape. By thus closely abutting the edges of adjacent strips of floor covering the production of a substantially seamless surface, particularly in pile fabrics, is insured.

While the invention as described herein is primarily adapted for securing together edge portions of adjacent strips-of carpets, rugs, and other floor coverings, it will be obvious that the machine may also be utilized for the purpose of securing together adjacent strips of other materials laid upon a floor, or other flat surface, and adapted to be manipulated in the manner above described by the movement of the machine along the edges to be united.

It will also be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive of the meaning or scope ofthe claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a portable carriage having means operable when the carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, and means for progressively delivering a binding tape having an adhesivecoated upper surface beneath the upraised edges of said strips, whereby upon restoration of the edge portions of said strips to normal position they will be permanently secured together by the underlying tape and will present a substantially seamless upper surface.

2. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in substantially the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a portable carriage having means operable when said carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise the adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, means upon said carriage for supporting a length of tape, means for guiding said tape beneath the up,- raised edges of said. strips as the carriage is moved along said edges, and means for causing said tape to be adhesively applied to the lower faces of said strips and thereby to secure said strips together with the edges thereof in permanent abutment.

3. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in substantially the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment ,which comprises a portable carriage having means operable when said carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise the adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, means upon said carriage for supporting a length oftape, means for guiding said tape beneath the upraised edges of said strips as the carriage is moved along said edges, and means for progressively producing an adhesive-surface upon the upper face of said tape in advance of its engagement with the lower faces of said strips.

4. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in substantially the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a portable carriage having means operable when said carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise the adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, means upon said carriage for supporting a length of tape, means for guiding said tape beneath the upraised edges of said strips as the carriage is moved along said edges, and means for progressively applying a liquid to the upper surface of said tape as it is drawn from said supporting means by'the movement of the carriage to render the upper surface of said tape adhesive in advance of its engagement with the lower faces of said strips.

5. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in substantially the same plane withadjacent edges in abutment which comprises a portable carriage having means operable when said carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise the adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, means upon said carriage for supporting a length of tape, means for guiding said tape beneath the upraised edges of said strips as the carriage is moved along said edges, and means for progressively applying a liquid adhesive to the upper surface of said tape as it is drawn from said supporting means by the movement of said carriage.

6. A machine-for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in substantially the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a portable carriage having means operable when said carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise the adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, means upon said carriage for supporting a length of tape, means for guiding said tape beneath the upraised edges of said strips as the carriage is moved along said edges, means for progressively applying a liquid to the upper surface of said tape as it is drawn from said supporting means by the movement of said carriage to render the upper surface of the tape adhesive, and means for regulating the.

amount of liquid adhesive applied to said tape.

7. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a portable carriage having means operable when the carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, and means for progressively deliver- 9; bmdmg tape having an adhesive-coated uP- per surface beneath the upraised edges of said strips, and pressing means upon said carriage operable to force the edge portions of said strip into firm engagement with the tape.

8. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adiacent edges in abutment which comprises a portable carriage having means operable when the carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, and means for progressively delivering a binding tape having an adhesive-coated upper surface beneath the upraised edges of said strips, and means upon said carriage engaging said strips and operable during the movement of said carriage to force the edges of the strips into close abutment.

9. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a portable carriage having a plow operable when the carriage is moved along said edges progressively to raise adjacent edges of said strips temporarily, and means for progressively delivering a binding tape having a tacky adhesive-coated surface beneath the upraised edges of said strips, whereby upon restoration of the edge portions of said strips to normal position they will be permanently secured together by the underlying tape and will present a substantially seamless upper surface.

10. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a carriage having a tongue, a pair of front wheels, a plow located intermediate of the paths of said wheels operable when moved along between said edges to progressively turn up adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, a tape-supporting reel upon said carriage, means for guid ing the tape beneath the upturned portions of said strips as it is drawn from said reel by the movement of said carriage, and means for progressively producing an adhesive surface upon the upper face of said tape in advancement of its engagement with the lower faces of said strips.

11. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges: in abutment which comprises a carriage having a tongue, a pair of front wheels, a plow located intermediate of the paths of said wheels operable when moved along between said edges to progressively turn up adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, a tape-supporting reel upon said carriage, means for guiding the tape beneath the upturned portions of said strips as it is drawn from said reel by the movement of said carriage, means for progressively producing an adhesive surface upon the upper face of sai tape in advancement of its engagement'with the lower faces of said strips, and means on said carriage operable to aid in restoring the upturned edges of said strips to normal position and to press the same firmly upon said tape.

12. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a carriage having a tongue, a pair a: front wheels, a plow located intermediate of the paths of said wheels operable when moved along between said edges to progressively turn up adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, a tape-supporting reel upon said carriage, means for guiding the tape beneath the upturned portions of said strips as. it is drawn from said reel by the movement of said carriage, and means on the carriage acting upon said strips to bring the edges thereof in close abutment, and pressing means upon said carriage operable to force the edge portions of said strips into flrm engagement with said tape.

13. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a carriage having a tongue, a pair of front wheels, a plow located intermediate of the paths of said wheels operable when moved along between said edges to progressively turn up adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, a tape-supporting 195 reel upon said carriage, means for guiding the tape beneath the upturned portions of said strips as it is drawn from said reel by the movement of said carriage, a pair of rear wheels upon said carriage, rollers upon said carriage rearwardly of said rear wheels and having their axes converging rearwardly, and-means for driving said rollers in a direction to cause said rollers to force the edges of the strips into close abutment.

14. A machine for uniting strips of floor covering or the like lying in the same plane with adjacent edges in abutment which comprises a carriage having a tongue, a pair of front wheels, a plow located intermediate of the paths of said wheels operable when moved along between said 129 edges to progressively turn up adjacent edge portions of said strips temporarily, a tape-supporting reel upon said carriage, means for guiding the tape beneath the upturned portions of said strips as it is drawn from said reel by the movement of said carriage, a pair of rear wheels upon said carriage, rollers upon said carriage rearwardly' of said rear wheels and having their axes converging rearwardly, means for driving said rollers in a direction to cause said rollersto force the 139 edges of the strips into close abutment, and a presser roller on said carriage rearwardly ofsaid converging rollers for pressing the edges of said strips firmly into engagement with said tape.

- FRANK H. HIGGINS. 

